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Anne Borg (Dean NTNU),
leader Executive Board
Ragnar Tronstad
(Director R&D, Elkem),
leader General Assembly
The world needs high quality materials for countless
applications. The challenge lies in producing and man-
ufacturing materials in a way that is not harmful to the
environment – neither when it comes to the use of re-
sources nor emission of different substances. Hand in
hand with research institutions, the Norwegian metal-
lurgical industry has already developed environmental
standards that are important on a global scale. With this
new Centre for Research-based Innovation, SFI Metal
Production, we will take several new steps towards a
greener metallurgical industry - not only in Norway, but
in the world.
Topically, SFI Metal Production is in the core of NTNUs
vision “Knowledge for a better world” as well as SINTEFs
vision “Technology for a better society”. In close col-
laboration with the industrial partners the ambition of
NTNU’s Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology and
SINTEF Materials and Chemistry is to contribute to the
realization of these visions through our joint research
and innovation activities in this centre. We look forward
to see scientific achievement, as well as the implemen-
tation of the research-based knowledge into useful tools
for the industry in the years to come.
The metallurgical industry in Norway has a long his-
tory. With our unique landscape with lakes and water-
falls, Norway could offer cheap and clean energy along
the entire coastline. Production plants for silicon, alu-
minium, ferroalloys and other high-energy consuming
products appeared at remote places, close to the power
sources, and small villages developed. The first plants
had no filtering systems for waste gases and systems
for water cleaning did not exist. Over the years, tech-
nical solutions have solved the visible challenges and
new knowledge and technology have created roadmaps
for a better environment. Today, filter systems separate
dust from off-gas, dust is made into products, danger-
ous gas components are neutralized, by-products are
developed for new markets and energy consumption is
dramatically reduced. However, it is still a long way to
go to meet Vision 2050 but a competitive world continu-
ously force the Norwegian industry to improve its ability
to innovate. Through common research arenas like FFF
(“Ferrolegeringsindustriens Forsknings Forening” - The
Norwegian Ferroalloy Producers Research Association),
industrial networks like Eyde, innovation and compe-
tence projects through the Research Council of Norway
our industry, universities and research institutes have
obtained global leadership. By being a part of SFI Metal
Production we hope to make a foundation [basis] for fu-
ture generations to maintain this position, and to estab-
lish standards for environmentally friendly metal pro-
duction worldwide.
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The leaders of the Executive Board and General Assembly take the floor